Health and Public Safety Program Orientation Requirements

Access to Verified by Synergy Gateway

Verified by Synergy Gateway is available through a secure username and password. Login instructions will be emailed to your SAIT email account approximately 30 days prior to the start of your program. Once you receive your login instructions, you will need to create a student profile.

Contactwww.synergyhelps.com for information regarding the Verified platform, uploading of documentation, ESPC, or login information or difficulties.

Preparing for your Mandatory ESPC Appointment(s)

Before you book your ESPC appointment, please ensure that you have completed the following items:

1. Confirm that you have received login credentials for Verified by Synergy Gateway. Your student profile username and password will be emailed to your SAIT email address approximately two weeks prior to the start of the program. If you cannot locate this information in your general inbox, then please check your junk/spam folder. If you still are unable to locate your login credentials, please contact hps.info@sait.ca.

2. Review your program’s specific placement requirements along with due dates in one of the following ways:

• Through the email communication sent by the Health and Public Safety Student Liaison with the subject line “Program Readiness and ESPC Checklist". If you have not received, or have deleted that email, you may contact hps.info@sait.ca for another communication to be sent to you.
• Log into your Verified Account and select “Important Forms”. In this section, you will also find student user guides and any required forms in order to be successful in completing this process.

3. Make sure you have reviewed what your clinical placement requirements are and have planned out when and how you will be completing them. It is important to remember that some requirements may take an extended time to complete such as your Immunization requirements.

4. Once you have ensured that all requirements have been uploaded to your profile, you may book your ESPC Appointment on the Verified by Synergy Gateway platform. This notifies Verified by Synergy Gateway that your profile is ready for validation.

5. To avoid paying additional appointment fees, ensure all of your documentation has been uploaded PRIOR to booking your ESPC appointment.

6. You do NOT need to attend your ESPC appointment in person or online – Synergy Gateway will send you an email status two (2) business days after your ESPC appointment date and time with a status update. Make sure you plan accordingly as it does take time to validate your documents.

You may also login into your Verified account and check the status through your dashboard.

Accepted Documentation

Refer to the table below for your program-specific documentation requirements that will need to be validated through Verified by Synergy Gateway.

The following evidence will be accepted as documentation to meet the pre-practicum requirements:

• Immunizations: A completed immunization form or letter that has been signed and approved by SAIT’s Health Services Clinic.
• CPR: All programs requiring CPR with the exception of Dental Assisting must prove completion of Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) completed by Heart and Stroke ( NO OTHER PROVIDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED). This certificate is valid for one year only and should be completed after July 1 to ensure it is valid for your entire placement term.
• CPR – Dental Assisting: NOTE: For this program only, Heart & Stroke is preferred, but any CPR Level C (Healthcare Provider) will also be accepted provided it contains the following:
  • One and two-person rescuer chest compressions for adults, children and infants
  • One and two-person rescuer adult, child, and infant bag valve mask technique and rescue breathing
  • Relief of choking in adults, children and infants
  • Use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)
• N95 Mask Fit test Certificate – Valid for two years from the date of issue listed on the certificate.
• Police Information Clearance with Vulnerable Sector Check (PIC) – Must be completed on or after June 1 of the year you started your program.

Expiring Document Validation

Students with certifications/requirements expiring during the placement period must renew (before expiry) and provide updated documentation Verified to continue to be eligible for placement. This will require another appointment and there will be a full-service fee charge for this appointment.

Multiple appointments at full-service fees will be required to update any expiring documentation. If you have more than one document expiring at any given time, we suggest you update them all together in one additional appointment to avoid further charges. Expired documents will negatively impact your clinical placement.

• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their documents are valid throughout all of their clinical placements.
• You will be notified of any upcoming expirations for documents on your profile page for Verified by Synergy Gateway. You will also receive notifications via email to your SAIT email.

Pre-Practicum Documentation Required for Validation through Verified by Synergy Gateway

Program Name	Immunizations	Police Information Clearance with Vulnerable Sector Check (PIC)	N95 Mask-fit testing	Heart & Stroke BLS Provider CPR	COVID-19 Vaccination	Influenza Vaccination
Care Paramedic	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Dental Assisting	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES
Diagnostic Medical Sonography	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Health Care Leadership*	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Health Information Management	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES
Medical Laboratory Assistant	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES
Medical Laboratory Technology	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES
Medical Office Assistant & Unit Clerk	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES
Medical Radiologic Technology	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Nuclear Medicine Technology	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Ophthalmic and Optometric Assisting	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO
Optician	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO
Pharmacy Assistant	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES
Primary Care Paramedic	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Respiratory Therapy	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES

*NOTE: Health Care Leadership students do not require a Verified by Synergy Gateway account, as they do not need to provide any pre-practicum requirements for verification.

Synergy Gateway Fees

• Verified by Synergy Gateway is a paid service and any time students are updating documents there are fees associated.
• To avoid booking and paying for multiple appointments throughout the year we strongly suggest you gather all of your requirements at one time so that they might be valid for multiple placements if possible.

Synergy Service	Fee
Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC)	$49.50 + HST
ESPC Follow up Appointment (if you are missing documents)	$22.60 + HST
Late Cancel Fee (less than 24 hours before the appointment)	$22.60 + HST
Late Reschedule Fee(less than 24 hours before appointment)	$22.60 + HST
No Show Fee	$49.50 + HST

Important Note: Please review SAIT’s COVID-19 information and updates for current SAIT information. All SAIT community members should review this webpage regularly to ensure awareness of the most up-to-date information provided by the institute.

It is strongly recommended that students receive COVID-19 vaccinations and any boosters available to them for their own safety and the safety of the patients with whom they work.

Students in programs that require immunizations will need to consult with the SAIT Health Clinic. Please follow the process outlined under the “Immunization” accordion on this page.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and boosters will be captured in the student immunization record during the immunization verification process at the SAIT Health Clinic. Immunization records are verified in advance of participation in a clinical practicum course or experience.

It is strongly recommended that students receive influenza vaccinations for their own safety and the safety of the patients with whom they work. Students who are at a practicum site where an influenza outbreak occurs and who do not have current vaccination against influenza may be removed from the practicum site until the outbreak is over.  

Proof of influenza vaccination will be captured in the student immunization record during the immunization verification process at the SAIT Health Clinic. Immunization records are verified in advance of participation in a clinical practicum course or experience.

Students will need to upload proof of any influenza vaccinations to their Verified by Synergy Gateway portal however, due to the seasonal availability of the vaccine, proof is not required to have your other requirements verified. Once an influenza vaccination is obtained, the proof of vaccination can be uploaded to Synergy at no extra cost.

Students in programs that require immunizations will need to consult with the SAIT Health Clinic. Please follow the process outlined under the “Immunization” accordion on this page.

Required for all programs except:

• Pharmacy Assistant
• Nutrition for Healthy Lifestyles
• Optician
• Ophthalmic and Optometric Assisting
• Healthcare Leadership

Most practicum sites require students to demonstrate updated immunization status prior to attending practicum and have the right to refuse students who cannot prove they have therequired immunization status.

Immunizations may take up to 6 months to be completed, so it is important to consult the SAIT Health Clinic immediately after accepting admission to our programs.

Steps to complete your immunizations:

Read the Immunizations Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.

1. Gather your immunization records

Consider all the immunizations you have had from birth to adulthood. You may consult with your family/parents, physician or public health unit to gain this evidence.

Please consult with a SAIT Health Clinic nurse for further information.

2. Book a consultation with the SAIT Health Clinic

Student immunization process begins by telephone consultation with the SAIT Health Clinic nurse to review the student’s immunization records and to discuss any further required immunizations for that student’s specific HPS Program.

The SAIT Health Services team will review the student’s immunization records and medical history. An individual plan will be provided to students with outstanding immunizations to ensure that the student is cleared to attend their practicum.

Book an appointment:

SAIT Health Services Clinic
403.284.8666
Monday – Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Senator Burns Building NR41
*Please access the building from outside in the NE corner closest to 10th Street.

The 30-minute appointment will be booked for approximately 7-10 business days from the initial call to allow a student to collect and submit all necessary documents in preparation for the appointment.

3. Prepare for your phone consultation appointment

3. Complete the steps to meet any outstanding immunization requirements 

• Read the information on next steps after the immunization phone consultation.
• Read and have a medical professional complete and sign the vaccine list for administration outside of SAIT Clinic document if you will not be using SAIT Health Services to complete your vaccinations.
• Determine whether you will receive immunizations through the SAIT Health Clinic or obtain them from another clinic. 
  • If you choose to proceed with the SAIT Health Clinic, any additional charges related to the immunizations will be collected during your phone consultation. 

SAIT Health Clinic Immunization Administration Costs are determined as follows:

• An initial $75 charge to review the vaccines and medical history during the telephone consultation.
• Immunization fee of $25 per appointment.
• Additional immunizations fee of $5 per vaccine for any vaccine administered the same day.

Payment may be made to the SAIT Health Clinic using one of the following methods:

• VISA
• MasterCard
• Pre-loaded VISA or MasterCard gift credit card loaded with enough funds to cover the appointment costs, and any associated activation fees (i.e. $75.00 + Activation fee to load card).
• Students may also have a 3 rd-party credit card holder pay in their behalf; provided that the cardholder is present for verification purposes.
• Receipts will be emailed to the student following payment processing.

Note: Debit card payment cannot be processed over the phone.

4. Obtain a clearance letter from SAIT Health Services 

Required for: All programs - no exemptions

The healthcare field has a strong focus on health, wellness and fitness to practice due to the demanding nature of the work and Occupational Health and Safety requirements.

If you have a physical, emotional, or medical condition or disability that might impact you in a practicum or clinical setting, it is strongly advised to discuss your concern with the program chair and/or Accessibility Services as soon as possible once you have been accepted and prior to confirming a seat into the program.

1. Read the health and wellness guidance document.
2. Contact your Academic Chair and/or SAIT Accessibility Services if you have a concern that might impact your ability to complete the program.

Required for all programs except:

• Nutrition for Healthy Lifestyles
• Healthcare Leadership

According to the Protection for Persons in Care Act, our practical sites require students to obtain a Police Information Check (PIC) including a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC), prior to starting practicum.

1. Read the PIC information sheet.
2. Obtain a letter for unpaid practicum by completing the required online forms.
3. For PICs from Calgary Police Services (CPS), you must use the “PIC for Non-Registered Agencies (Agency Not Listed)” application process and will be required to manually enter the agency name to read “SAIT School of Health and Public Safety” when asked for the “Agency Name”. 
4. Once you receive your hard copy PIC, review it to ensure that it is accurate and does not contain any statement such as: “ We recommend that a search be completed where the applicant previously resided”. If this or a similar statement exists, then you are obligated to make every reasonable effort to obtain a supplementary PIC from your previous jurisdiction.
5. If your PIC is clear of convictions and does not contain a statement such as the one noted in step #4, then upload it to Verified by Synergy Gateway for validation through your student profile.
6.  

The PIC must be dated no earlier than 90 days prior to your program orientation day. Failure to complete this process may lead to ineligibility for practicums.

Required for: Advanced Care Paramedic, Primary Care Paramedic, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant, Respiratory Therapy, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Medical Radiologic Technology.

Fit testing is arranged for students to complete at the SAIT campus with program staff prior to practicum, as per Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code 2009. Testing is done to determine which make and model of an N95 respiratory mask should be used by an individual.

What the N95 mask fit test will determine:

• Is the seal tight enough so that the person is breathing only air which has been filtered?
• Does the mask fit well for the face shape?
• Does any facial hair interfere with the seal?
• Have there been any significant changes to face shape in the past two years which may require another fit test to be done? (e.g. Weight gain/loss, the growth of facial hair, dental surgery, or facial scarring).

Failure to complete an N95 mask fit test may result in a restricted practicum and/or limited employment.

Required for: Advanced Care Paramedic, Primary Care Paramedic, Dental Assisting, Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant, Respiratory Therapy, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Medical Radiologic Technology. 

Current Heart and Stroke Foundation BLS Provider CPR must be valid for the duration of your practicum. To find a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada BLS Provider course in your area contact 1.877.473.0333 or find a course on www.heartandstroke.ca.

Please note, with the exception of the Dental Assisting program, only the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada BLS Provider CPR certification will be accepted.

Dental Assisting: For this program only, Heart & Stroke is preferred, but any Healthcare Provider CPR (Level C) will also be accepted provided it contains the following:

• One and two-person rescuer chest compressions for adults, children and infants
• One and two-person rescuer adult, child, and infant bag valve mask technique and rescue breathing
• Relief of choking in adults, children and infants
• Use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)